• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.81-87
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• 2020

Cognitive impairment is symptoms of dementia, a degenerative brain disease that is drawing attention in a rapidly aging society. This study was conducted to investigate the improvement of cognitive function of Leonurus japonicus on scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice and the effect and mechanism of memory recovery. In vivo studies were conducted on mice orally pretreated with L. japonicus in doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg (p.o.) and scopolamine (1 mg/kg, i.p.) were injected 30 min before the behavioral task. Antioxidant activity was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) assay and 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition activity evaluated by Ellman's method. In behavior studies showed that L. japonicus has an improved the memory of scopolamine-treated mice in Y-maze, passive avoidance and Morris water maze test. In addition, L. japonicus was also exerted free radical scavenging activity and inhibited acetyl cholinesterase activity. These results suggest that L. japonicus improves short-term and long-term memory in scopolamine-induced memory decline model and prevents scopolamine-induced memory impairments through in reduced oxidative stress and acetyl cholinesterase inhibition effect. Thus, L. japonicus is related to functional medicinal materials for prevention and treatment of human dementia patients.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.514-520
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• 2019

This study investigated the improved lipid metabolism effect of 3T3-L1 cells induced by adipocytes using the dichloromethane (DCM) fraction in the organic solvent extract of Wassong (Orostachys japonicus). To confirm the cell cytotoxicity, each of 6 fractions of organic solvent extracts (EtOH, Hexane, DCM, EtOAc, BuOH, and H₂O) was examined using MTS assay. As a result, it was confirmed that the DCM extract was stable over the whole range of concentrations, and a DCM fraction was used to confirm the improved lipid metabolism effect. Lipid excretion was measured to confirm the change of lipid metabolism. 3T3-L1 cells induced by adipocytes were treated with DCM extract and stained with oil-red O to evaluate lipid accumulation. As a result, it was confirmed that the lipid efflux was significantly improved. In order to confirm the mechanism of lipid efflux, the mRNA expressions of ABCA1 and ABCG1, which are lipid transport proteins, were confirmed by real-time PCR. Therefore, the present study confirmed that the DCM extract from Orostachys japonicus has the effect of improving the lipid metabolism on 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In addition, the results of this study will be used as the basis for the development of functional foods using Orostachys japonicus and also for conducting research on the detailed mechanisms.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
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• 2018.10a
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• pp.99-99
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• 2018

The major aim of this work is the research of secondary metabolites isolated from the aerial parts of Petasites japonicus. The plant material is extracted with a polar solvent, which is 95% by volume methanol at room temperature. The concentrated extract was partitioned as EtOAc, n-BuOH, and $H_2O$ fractions. From the EtOAC and n-BuOH fraction, two bakkenolides and two caffoylquinic acid were isolated using the Diaion HP-20, silica gel, ODS-A, and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies. According to the results of the results of physico-chemical and spectroscopic data including NMR, MS and UV. The chemical structures of the compounds were respectively determined as bakkenolide B (1), bakkenolide D (2), 1,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid (3), and 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4). These results suggest that the compounds isolated from the aerial parts of this plant were almost identical with known components of Petasites japonicus. However, it is necessary to investigate more about the difference of amounts of constituents according to harvest area and time.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.40-48
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• 1998

Comparative morphology of the genus Branchiostegus has been investigated based on the specimens collected from the adjacent waters of Korea. Branchiostegus japonicus has a distinctive silvery white triangular marking behind eye, while B. albus has nothing. B. albus has about 4 yellow strips along the posterior margin, however, remainder have 5 to 6 longitudinal yellow stripes. In B. auratus, its head length is more than 26% of standard length, but, less than 26% in B. argentatus. This study reveals that B. argentatus is the first record from Korea, and we propose "T$\check{u}$ng-h$\acute{u}$k-ch$\check{o}$m-ok-tu-$\check{o}$" for B. argentatus as a new Korean name.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.144-149
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• 2008

Shoot weight of Orostachys japonicus should determine its profitability. The study was done to determine the effect of phosphorus and potassium fertilization (0, 5, 10, 20 kg $P_2O_5$ or $K_2O$ /1000 $m^2$) on its growth, morphological characters, and flowering. Night-break treatment of 2 hours at midnight were done since Aug. 25 when afterward samples were taken every 4 weeks to Nov. 16. Growth, morphological and flowering related characters were measured from each sample. Plant height, inflorescence length, number of leaves including bracts and stem diameter were increased with increased P and K levels. Leaf and bract, floret, shoot and total dry weights showed similar response to the above morphological characters although P fertilization more increased them than K fertilization. Florets were more formed with increased P and K levels but were not flowered due to the night-break treatment, meaning that P and K fertilization had little effect on anthesis of the florets formed.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.7
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• pp.379-384
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• 2020

Exposure to Ultraviolet (UV) light induces photoaging of skin, leading to wrinkles and sunburn. The perennial herb Humulus japonicus, widely distributed in Asia, is known to have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects. However, the physiological activities of isolated compounds from H. japonicus have rarely been investigated. This study focused on the isolation of active compounds from H. japonicus and the evaluation of their effects on photoaging in UVB-irradiated human fibroblast (Hs68) cells. When the extract and four fractions of H. japonicus were treated respectively in UVB-irradiated Hs68 cells to investigate anti-photoaging effects, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction showed the strongest inhibitory effect on MMP1 secretion. From EtOAc fraction, we isolated luteolin-8-C-glucoside (1), apigenin-8-C-glucoside (2), and luteolin-7-O-glucoside (3). These compounds suppressed UVB-induced MMP-1 production by inhibiting the phosphorylation of the mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and activator protein-1 (AP-1). When the antioxidant activity of the compounds were estimated by conducting western blot, calculating the bond dissociation energies of the O-H bond (BDE) at different grade, and measuring radical scavenging activity, we found luteolin-8-C-glucoside (1) showed the strongest activity on the suppression of UVB-induced photoaging. These results demonstrate the inhibitory effect of three flavone glycosides derived from H. japonicus on MMP-1 production, MAPK and AP-1 signaling, and oxidative stress; this could prove useful in suppressing UVB induced photoaging.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1023-1026
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• 2005

A new furofuran lignan (1) was isolated from the n-butanol fraction of the methanolic extract of the leaves of Petasites japonicus (Sieb. et Zucc.) Maxim. (Compositae). The structure of compound 1 was determined to be $2{\alpha}-(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxyphenyl)-6{\alpha}-(4"-hydroxy-3"-methox­yphenyl)-8{\alpha}-hydroxy-3, 7-dioxabicyclo[3.3.0]octane\;4'-O-({\beta}-D-glucopyranoside)$ by spectroscopic methods including 2D-NMR. In further studies, it was found that the compound 1 expressed an antioxidant activity in DPPH radical scavenging assay, and moreover, ameliorated the seizure in kainic acid-treated mice.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.332-336
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• 2007

Five steroids and two norsesquiterpene glycosides were isolated from the methanol extract of H. japonicus. Their structures were determined by means of physio-chemical and spectral data to be friedelin (1), stigmast-5-en-3-${\beta}$-ol (${\beta}$-sitosterol) (2), 7-keto-${\beta}$-sitosterol (3), 6${\beta}$-hydroxy-4-stigmasten-3-one (4), 7${\alpha}$-hydroxy-${\beta}$-sitosterol (5), 3-hydroxy-4,4-dimethyl-4-butyrolactone (6), daucosterol (7), (6S, 9S)-roseoside (8), and (9S)-drummondol-9-O-${\beta}$-D-glucopyranoside (spinoside B) (9). The compounds 1, 3, 4, and 6 - 9 were first isolated from this plant source.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.391-396
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• 2004

Optimal culture conditions for efficient in vitro propagation and polysaccharide production of Orostachys japonicus were established. O. japonicus was cultured in media containing various growth regulators and carbon sources. The highest regeneration rate was achieved in 1.0 and $3.0\;mg\;l\;^{-1}$ of 2,4-D concentration, while the lowest was obtained in $10.0\;mg\;l\;^{-1}$ 2,4-D concentration. When different carbone sources were added in the culture medium, plant growth was high in 3% sucrose treatment. The micropropagated shoots were successfully acclimatized in artificial soils and produced comparable amont of polysaccharide compred to parent cultivated plants.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.98-103
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• 2014

Orostachys japonicus shows various biological activities. However, the molecular mechanisms remain unknown in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Here, we investigated the anti-oxidizing effect of the dichloromethane (DCM) and hexane fractions from O. japonicus (OJD and OJH) against oxidative stress in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated by LPS. OJD and OJH significantly increased the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Additionally, it was found that the expression of HO-1 was stimulated by Nrf2 activated via degradation of Keap1. ERK and p38 inhibitors repressed HO-1 induced by OJD and OJH in LPS-stimulated cells, respectively. In conclusion, these results suggest that OJD and OJH may block oxidative damage stimulated by LPS, via increasing the expression of HO-1 and Nrf2, and MAPK signaling pathway.